Readers needn’t make time for this one.
No one has time to play with Fifi.
In her tutu and crown, a young raccoon named Fifi tells her dog, Felix, that she needs someone to play with. She asks various family members, but everyone’s too busy. Momma’s fixing the plumbing, Peapaw’s doing yoga, and Daddy’s cooking. Poor Fifi. Felix wants to play fetch, but Fifi has other ideas. She and Felix steal something from each adult and build a Lots-of-Time Machine in the backyard out of boxes and blankets. When she and Felix trick the adults into joining them in the yard, Fifi tells them it costs 10 minutes to enter the machine, where they can play games and read stories together. When Felix accidentally pulls down the machine, Fifi helps Momma and Daddy with their chores while Peapaw builds a new tent for play in the yard. Though the ultimate message is that family time is the best time, readers may wonder why the young protagonist ignores a perfectly good playmate in her puppy, and the Lots-of-Time machine doesn’t really make sense even with toddler logic: It’s unclear why the adults suddenly have time for Fifi or why they aren’t frustrated that she’s taken items that belong to them. The illustrations, rendered in watercolor and digital media, are serviceable, but the oddly football-headed raccoons seem out of place against the backdrops.
Readers needn’t make time for this one. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: July 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781662518584
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
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